Tracking

Tracking at Rarefied Recording is all about getting your sound the way you want it from the very start so you don’t have to “fix it in the mix”. We believe the only rule is that there are no rules and that if it sounds good, it is good, no matter how that sound is achieved. Every project is different and deserves a considered and specific approach, not cookie-cutter methods that all end up sounding the same.

At Rarefied, we consider the recording studio an instrument and an extension of the creative toolbox you bring with you when you walk in the door. You want colored? You got colored. You want clean? You got clean. We’ll take your sound wherever you want it go and we’ve got the tools and know-how to get it there. The extremely accurate Control Room insures that what you hear is really what you’ve got. And our ample sized Live Room, gobos, and Sound Locks allows you to track your band all together or piece-meal.

Besides the variety of outboard mic pre’s and EQ’s to track through, special mention must be made of our AMS Neve Genesys mixing board which holds 32 channels worth of 1073 style mic pre’s, sixteen 1084 style three band EQ’s, and sixteen 88RS style four band EQ’s. At this point in time, Rarefied has the only full sized Neve board in the San Diego area. If you know anything about Neve then you know it’s synonymous with superb sound quality and a classic musicality that’s hard to beat.

Feeling inspired? We’ve got some cool instruments that you may not, like a baby grand piano, a vibraphone, a Hammond organ, a Rhodes, a Wurlitzer, a Farfisa, a Moog, and even a Theremin. Whether you record to our 2” 16 track or through our Apogee and Burl converters, we’ll get you sweet sounds and have fun doing it!

The icing on the cake is our great location in the North Park area of San Diego, CA. There are plenty of excellent places in walking distance to grab lunch or dinner during your session. And don’t forget about our comfy lounge with old school video game systems like NES, Sega Genesis, and Atari!

About Us

San Diego's Rarefied Recording was designed by one of today’s most well respected recording studio designers, Wes Lachot. A musician, engineer, and producer himself, Wes brought nearly 30 years of studio design experience to the table when he put pencil to paper for Rarefied. The attention to detail required to design a recording studio like Rarefied Recording is astounding.
You can see it in the angles of the Control Room and you can hear it when you’re sitting in the sweet spot. Hidden from sight are all sorts of design and construction techniques.